Reading Is The Key

Some weeks I wonder about what to share in these posts. I think about what to write as soon as I have submitted my previous post. To get my creative juices flowing, I spend time reading about current affairs in professional learning. I like reading and knowing about current events in education, and I usually find something to write about.

Lately, I have found myself reading about successful people who are avid readers and work at being lifelong learners. Whether they are entrepreneurs, business people, or scientists, they spend dedicated amounts of time reading every day. That made me wonder what successful teachers read about and how much time they spend reading. In my search for the answer to that question, I came across an opinion piece in Education Week by Nancy Flanagan, “Do Teachers Read Professionally.”

In her piece, Nancy says that teachers definitely read, and sometimes a lot, but teachers could still stand to read more in order to learn and expand their own knowledge base. Teachers generally cite lack of time as a reason for why they don’t read more. Classroom teachers spend big chunks of time reading, but it may only be student work, textbooks, etc. Taking time to read as a way to fuel their own need for new and more knowledge is what’s missing. Teachers are lifelong learners, and reading is a big part of doing that successfully.

Teaching and reading seem to go hand in hand. As teachers, we are expected to be better professionally as time goes on. This can’t be accomplished by not reading. My point is merely to remind you to read more. Ask yourself, what is the book you have not read yet but want to? Stay on that lifelong learning path by reading more. Ask a colleague what they are reading. I know reading what I did to write this blog has given me cause to read more, what about you? Being good at lifelong learning means you read a lot. I think I need to find another book to read! What’s on your reading list?

About Deb Porcarelli

In her 33rd year as an educator, Deb Porcarelli is currently the Director of Professional Learning at the AIMS Center for Math and Science Education. She has BS in Elementary Education and a Masters Degree in Integrated Mathematics and Science Education. She taught in a small rural K-12 school in South Central Montana, and joined the AIMS Facilitator cadre in 1995. In her current role at the AIMS Center, she is continually working to make professional learning partnerships with educators effective, and has the goal of helping them to improve their classroom teaching practices.